Hypericum plant named ‘Esmfire’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum plant named ‘Esmfire’, characterized by its upright plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; large red purple-colored fruits; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Hypericum androsaemumcultivar Esmfire.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHypericum plant, botanically known as Hypericum androsaemum,commercially used as cut stems with fruits, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Esmfire’.

The new Hypericum is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop cut Hypericum varieties with large fruitand attractive coloration.

The new cultivar originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in August, 1999 of a proprietary selection of Hypericumandrosaemum identified as Code 02, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with an unidentified selection of Hypericum androsaemum, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Esmfire wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment inEl Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hypericum by terminal cuttings taken atEl Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador since June, 2000, has shown that theunique features of this new Hypericum are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Esmfire’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Esmfire’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Upright plant habit.

2. Dark green-colored leaves.

3. Large red purple-colored fruits.

4. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ from plants of the female parentselection identified as Code 02 in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Hypericum are shorter than plants of the femaleparent selection.

2. Plants of the new Hypericum have lighter green-colored leaves thanplants of the female parent selection.

3. Plants of the new Hypericum have more rounded fruits than plants ofthe female parent selection.

4. Plants of the new Hypericum and the female parent selection differ infruit coloration.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ from plants of the male parentselection primarily in fruit size and coloration.

Plants of the new Hypericum can be compared to plants of the Hypericumcultivar Bosapin, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,993. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador,plants of the new Hypericum differed from plants of the cultivar Bosapinin the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Hypericum had broader and lighter green-coloredleaves than plants of the cultivar Bosapin.

2. Plants of the new Hypericum had more rounded fruits than plants ofthe cultivar Bosapin.

3. Plants of the new Hypericum and the cultivar Bosapin differed infruit coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Hypericum, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Hypericum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical stem of ‘Esmfire’ in fruit.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of atypical cluster of fruits, the upper surface of a typical leaf, and thelower surface of a typical leaf of ‘Esmfire’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Hypericum has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without,however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, in an outdoornursery and under commercial production practices. Plants were about oneyear old. During the production of the plants, day temperatures rangedfrom 12 to 30° C. and day temperatures ranged from 5 to 12° C. Plantswere pinched about two weeks after planting. In the followingdescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Hypericum androsaemum cultivar Esmfire.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Hypericum androsaemum identifiedas Code 02, not patented.

Male parent.—Unidentified selection of Hypericum androsaemum, notpatented.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 7 to 10 days at 22 to 30° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About 28 to 35 days at 22 to 30° C.

Root description.—Fibrous, fine; color, 167A.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching, dense.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading perennial woodyshrub; erect inverted triangle.

Growth habit.—Moderately vigorous. Freely basal branching; dense andbushy growth habit.

Plant height.—About 78 cm.

Plant width (spread).—About 25.8 cm.

Quantity of stems per year.—About 12; production of stems increases withage of plants.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 78 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Internodelength: About 5.9 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth; glabrous.Color: 181D.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile. Length:About 7.5 cm. Width: About 5.6 cm. Shape: Oval to lanceolate. Apex:Acute. Base: Cordate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:Glabrous; smooth. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves,upper surface: 144A. Developing leaves, lower surface: 138B. Fullyexpanded leaves, upper surface: 137A. Fully expanded leaves, lowersurface: 138B. Venation, upper surface: 144C. Venation, lower surface:157A.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Bright yellow single flowers arranged in terminalcompound umbels with about 15 flowers per lateral branch. Flowersfragrant. Flowers not persistent. Flowers face upright.

Natural flowering season.—Summer, typically July through early Septemberin The Netherlands; flowering period typically lasts about 60 days.

Postproduction longevity.—Cut stems are typically harvested when allflowers have developed fruits. Flowers last about three days on theplant. Postproduction longevity of cut stems with fruits about 14 to 18days.

Inflorescence height.—About 11.2 cm.

Inflorescence diameter.—About 8.9 cm.

Flower buds.—Height: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: Towards the apex, 13A; towards the base, 13C.

Flowers.—Diameter: About 2.8 cm. Depth: About 1.4 cm.

Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five. Length: About 1.3 cm.Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Oval. Aspect: Incurved. Apex: Rounded. Base:Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,glabrous. Color: Developing and fully expanded petals, upper surface:13B. Developing and fully expanded petals, lower surface: 12A.

Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five. Length: About 1 cm. Width:About 8 mm. Shape: Oval. Apex: Acute to rounded. Base: Rounded. Margin:Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:Developing sepals, upper surface: 144A overlain with 60A. Developingsepals, lower surface: 148B overlain with 53A. Fully developed sepals,upper surface: 144A. Fully developed sepals, lower surface: 138B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 5.8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Orientation:Erect to about 35° from vertical. Strength: Strong to moderately strong.Color: 178B.

Pedicels.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.8 mm. Orientation:Erect to about 55° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong. Color:N144C.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 82. Anthershape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.7 mm. Anther color: 23A. Pollenamount: Scarce. Pollen color: 23A. Pistils: Quantity per flower:Typically three. Pistil length: About 1.4 cm. Stigma shape: Globular.Stigma color: 59A. Style length: About 8 mm. Style color: 2C. Ovarycolor: 1B.

Fruits.—Quantity per flower: One. Days to ripening: About 52 to 56.Type: Capsule. Shape: Ellipsoidal. Length: About 11.6 mm. Diameter:About 8.7 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 50A.

Seeds.—Length: About 1.3 mm. Diameter: About 0.4 mm. Texture: Smooth,glabrous. Color: N119B.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Hypericum have not beenobserved to be resistant to pests common to Hypericum. Plants of the newHypericum have been observed to be slightly resistant to rust pathogens.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hypericum have been observed totolerate temperatures ranging from 0 to 30° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum plant named‘Esmfire’, as illustrated and described.